Malcolm X and Marshall street: 50 years on in the shadow of ukip

[Po EL Bear Supreme of the UK]

Fifty years ago Malcolm X visited Birmingham UK, just 9 days before he was assassinated. On his trip to the city he visited Marshall Street in Smethwick, which was in the grip of a housing controversy, with the council buying up houses to prevent ethnic minorities moving in. Later in the year one of the most racist elections in British history took place, with the victorious Conservative candidate for the area endorsing the slogan ‘If you want a Nigger for a neighbour, vote Labour’. Malcolm explained that he had come to Smethwick because he had heard the ethnic minorities were ‘being treated as the Jews were under Hitler’.

 

In this event Dr Kehinde Andrews and Dr John Narayan will examine the significance of Malcolm’s visit to Marshall Street in 1965 and the continued legacy of racism in politics. 50 years on, the rise of UKIP has shifted the political discussion rightwards and is eerily reminiscent of the time of Malcolm’s visit. One of the lasting legacies of Malcolm X’s politics are his internationalism in understanding local issues and the event will approach the immigration debate from a global perspective. 50 years on the legacy of Malcolm X is as important as ever